Commercial Experiance with VGB & State Code

Making swimmers safe is good for business - As of December 19, 2008, all operating public pools and spas must have suction outlet covers that meet the ANSI/ASME A112.19.8 (2007) standard or any successor standard on every suction outlet. On July 27, 2011, the Commission unanimously approved ANSI/APSP 16-2011 as the successor suction outlet cover standard which pool operators need to follow to comply with the P&SS Act. In addition, if the pool has a single main drain or suction outlet (other than an unblockable suction outlet), the operator must install a second anti-entrapment device or system, which can be an automatic pump shut-off system, gravity drainage system, Safety Vacuum Release System (SVRS) or a suction-limiting vent system; or the operator can disable the drain taking into consideration the pool's filtration system and the regulations within the particular jurisdiction.
A pool may have more than one suction outlet, but multiple suction outlets are not a requirement of the law. If a pool has dual or multiple suction outlets (per pump) that are separated by at least three feet, or located on different planes, it may be exempt from the secondary backup device or system requirement.
An unblockable suction outlet is defined in the P&SS Act as "a drain of any size and shape that a human body cannot sufficiently block to create a suction entrapment hazard."

For more information about what a VGB Pump is or looks like, visit our Pumps page